17.906 The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy, Spring 2007
Prof. Flynt Leverett
Discussion 10: Responding to Import-Dependence & US Policy
American Strategies for dealing with Asian countries (mostly China) who are importdependent
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Diversify
o Competition
o Getting in bed with Latin America
Engagement
o Technology
o Cooperation
o Humanitarian
o Multilateral in Middle East
o Transparency in US-Chinese Relations
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Military exercises together
o Make China a big player in the international energy game
(Institutionalize)
ƒ Welcome them to the IEA
Containment
o Comes out of the Cold War
ƒ Keep Soviets in a box and stop expansion
ƒ Rollback
à Use subversion to topple countries in eastern Europe
hoping that it will lead with a domino effect
o Sell offensive weapons to other countries around China
o Influence
ƒ Pre-empt aid and infrastructure to countries that China
might try to influence
o “Information shaping” Æ or propaganda
o Basing and alliances
ƒ Put American troops all around China Æ Done!
o Get close with oil producers
Pros and Cons of an Engagement Strategy
o Pros
ƒ Since US and China are economically dependant upon one
another that any positive steps would be mutually beneficial
à WTO, IEA
ƒ Peace
o Cons
ƒ Restraints on US policy
ƒ Chinese political power is distinct from Chinese military
power
ƒ On a moral level, the US might have a problem selling this
interaction to the public
à Darfur
ƒ Balance of power
à US could be soft and give China a chance to become
big and powerful
Pros and Cons of a Containment Strategy
o Pros
ƒ Balance of power
Cite as: Paul Staniland, course materials for 17.906 Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and
Geoeconomics of Global Energy, Spring 2007. MIT OpenCourseWare (http://ocw.mit.edu), Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Downloaded on [DD Month YYYY].
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Cons
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Insurance against future issues
We have more influence in the region
Strange bedfellows
China status quo
à Essentially containment is an overreaction towards
China’s rise and lack of physical expansion
Money and influence
Spiral / Self-fulfilling prophecy
Inefficient
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Cite as: Paul Staniland, course materials for 17.906 Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and
Geoeconomics of Global Energy, Spring 2007. MIT OpenCourseWare (http://ocw.mit.edu), Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Downloaded on [DD Month YYYY].
17.906 The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy
Prof. Flynt Leverett
Discussion 10
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